Oscar799 wrote:Questions like this always get the same answer - "When it is ready"

Ah - so it is in development? Is that the implication? I was wondering, because non-LTS releases have not offered an Xfce flavor in the past. I had assumed only 13 would have Xfce. Perhaps I should hold off on installing LM 13 Xfce on one of my computers?

On the other hand, with backports available to Maya, perhaps Maya is good 'nuff.

Brilliant. Great work guys. Have another gong.I know it gives us all a good laugh

When it is ready

, but some of us would be most grateful for some/any guidance, even if it's 'before the end of the century' (hopefully sooner, though) because we, in turn, have other folks to satisfy, projects to plan and promotions to book. When it's this close, something we can work on would be of inestimable assistance. That's not to say hurry it along - please don't do that! Yes, yes, I know everyone's busy, it's free, we are grateful for any crumbs from the table, whatever. Besides which, that citation is probably copyrighted by Debian...

For better or worse, I chose the Linux Mint Maya LTS version of the Xfce desktop, because I wasn't really sure what benefits were in ubuntu 12.10, and the LTS ('til 2017) was important to me. A minor downside was that there were 499 updates, but I just let it run while I was asleep, no big deal. I woke up to find the update manager asking me whether it was OK to replace two configuration files, but the update was fifteen minutes from completion by then anyway. I have Xubuntu 12.10 running on my htpc and notice that plymouthd crashes from time to time for unknown reasons ("VMA," "segmentation fault," "send a message to Ubuntu to let them know," whatever right?), so that may explain my reluctance to go with the 12.10 codebase which will be found in LM version 14.

Although Xubuntu runs my htpc, which only plays video or audio + GLslideshow-xscreensaver, for my desktop, I wanted Linux Mint Xfce, because in my experience LM is just nicer. I like the fact that the panel 0 begins at the bottom of the screen rather than the top. I will never understand the decision of Xubuntu to place it at the top, because it effectively hides the top menu-bar of Firefox and other programs in that location. I'm also glad panel 1 (found in Xubuntu) is eliminated in LM as I felt it was unnecessary and disabled it in Xubuntu. Thank goodness LM installs VLC and other needed programs. Also, the priceless "Show Desktop" icon is installed on the panel right away, which to me is a no-brainer that should also be the default in Xubuntu, but isn't. All in all, less re-configuration is needed in LM from what I have observed. I spent hours getting Xubuntu to the point where LM 13 Xfce is at the beginning. I do miss the luxurious Linux Mint menu to be found in Mate, but I guess that's Xfce for you. I could be wrong, but I think Xubuntu does not permit drag and drop of programs from the Menu to the desktop, whereas LM 13 Xfce most certainly does, as I tried it just now. Nice feature.

A reviewer complained that Maya's Xfce would not look good with a dark background due to the black font, but doesn't Xfce offer an easy way to change the desktop font color? Let me see. Hm, maybe not. One can easily change the font style and size via Settings | Appearance | Font, but not font color. However, I can select a different theme and that might serve to accomodate a dark background. But in Xfce, there's no preview of themes, so it is hit or miss, unlike Mate. I will look at this more closely later.

Vincent Vermeulen wrote:A Linux Mint release is never late, nor is it early, it arrives precisely when it is ready. But it should be this month

I have experienced instability with Xubuntu 12.10, so I think I will stick with Linux Mint Maya Xfce, which is based on ubuntu 12.04. I've been pleased with Linux Mint Maya Xfce, and it's a long-term release.

Vincent Vermeulen wrote:Linux Mint Xfce isn't based on Xubuntu but on Ubuntu, so you might give it a try anyway. But there is nothing wrong with continuing to use the LTS, that is what it is for after all

I like Linux Mint Maya Xfce so much I plan to stick with it. I'd even install it on my htpc if I dared, but my htpc already has Xubuntu 12.10 and the thought of doing all the configuring and customization I prefer is daunting. Xubuntu 12.10 works okay, but I get a crash report about once every three boots or so. Annoying. I realize Linux Mint Nadia Xfce won't be based upon Xubuntu, but Ubuntu, but I don't really know what is causing the crash ultimately, so am a bit leery of the 12.10 codebase, which is supposed to be beta-ish after all ("Quantal" not being a LTS, but an aggressive step towards the next LTS). My plan at present is to wait 'til Linux Mint releases its next LTS, at which point I'll face the decision of going with Cinnamon, Mate (possibly it will be around then? I don't know), or Xfce.

For my htpc, I don't know. If Xubuntu continues to aggravate with the random crash reports, then I may decide it's worth the trouble of replacing it with LM. (Never going back to straight *buntu in this lifetime, Linux Mint all the way.)

If Linux Mint ever decides to stray from the Ubuntu codebase, I'm not sure that would be such a big deal. Might even be a good thing, but I don't know. I must confess curiosity about LMDE. I only use a handful of applications: Mozilla Firefox, Mozilla Thunderbird, Gimp (maybe?), and Dungeon Crawl Stone Soup. I think all of that is available in Deb. I'm getting ready to look at K3b as a DVD burner, but haven't settled on one yet. I plan to use LibreOffice most likely for word processing. Other than that, Filezilla for ftp, and I can't think of any other apps. I just want the OS to look nice and handle file copying and editing with ease and offer certain conveniences and customization utilities. I don't understand why Ubuntu spent all their developer dollar on Unity when the users wanted something else. You know, the users are always right.

Hm. I did have too much egg nog this evening. Wrote more than I expected.